How to Apply Rope to a Mirror for a Nautical Look

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A mirror wrapped in rope brings a nautical look to a room, somewhat reminiscent of a porthole. These rope mirrors are available in some home decor stores and are quite pricey. Rather than purchasing one that's already made, make it yourself from an inexpensive thrift-store or salvage-shop mirror and a roll of natural rope such as sisal. If the mirror has a frame, keep the frame intact and cover that with the rope; otherwise, the rope attaches to the mirror itself.

1

Cover the work area with newspaper. Determine which end of the mirror is the top by looking at the hardware on the back. Set the mirror flat on the newspaper with the top edge closest to you.

2

Plug in the hot glue gun with a glue stick inserted in the glue chamber. Set the glue gun near the mirror. Cover the center of the mirror glass with newspaper to avoid getting strands of glue on the glass.

3

Unwrap 10 feet or so of rope from the roll. Examine the fibers at the end of the roll; if the rope is cut in a straight, tight line, work the fibers between your fingers to loosen them slightly. This makes the end lie flatter as you wrap the second layer of rope against this edge. Trim the end fibers with scissors if any twisted fibers are significantly longer than neighboring fibers.

4

Align the end of the rope along the top edge of the mirror. If the mirror has a frame, place the rope along the lip where the mirror meets the frame, wrapping the first ring entirely along this lip to get a feel for the rope. Unwrap the coil. If there is no mirror frame, the first coil goes along the top outside edge of the mirror on the face of the glass.

5

Apply a line of hot glue all the way around the inner lip of the mirror frame or along the outer perimeter of an unframed mirror on the face of the glass rather than the thin edge. Place and press the rope atop the glue line, making a coil or ring around the mirror, angling the rope to begin the next coil once the rope meets itself full circle.

6

Apply another ring of hot glue next to the first, getting some of the glue on the inner edge of the rope as well, so the rope adheres to itself. Position the rope atop the glue once again, making a second coil snugged tightly against the first. Repeat the process until either the entire mirror frame is covered or you've covered as much of the inner mirror area as you'd like.

7

Align the end of the rope with the top of the mirror. Cut the end of the rope fiber at an angle using a utility knife and scissors, loosening the fibers between your fingers. Tuck the fibers under the previous layer of rope, making the final rope ring as neat as possible. Apply a small dab of hot glue, if necessary, to stick down the fibers.

Things You Will Need

Newspaper

Round mirror, 18 inches diameter or larger

Hot glue gun with glue sticks

Roll of rope 3/8-inch diameter or wider

Scissors

Utility knife

Tips

A mirror can be as large or small as you'd like for a rope-wrapping project. Rope is available in various thicknesses, so keep the design in mind: a thick rope may dwarf a mirror smaller than 1 foot in diameter, while thin rope will seem insignificant on a mirror triple that size.

Glue strands of rope or a shell to the top of the finished mirror to hide seams, if desired.

If the rope you selected is stiff and doesn't wrap well, cut individual pieces for each ring of rope rather than using one continual length for the entire mirror. Cut the rope ends on an angle, and have the seams meet at the same place each time, along the top edge of the mirror. Narrow bits of rope aligned next to one another, made by unwrapping the fibers, cover the seam edge, looking as if they have been wrapped around the thicker rope.

Select a mirror that already has wall-hanging hardware or hooks on the back if you intend to hang the mirror.

While any shape of mirror can be wrapped in rope, round fits the nautical theme, emulating both portholes and life rings.

About the Author

Kathy Adams is an award-winning journalist and freelance writer who traveled the world handling numerous duties for music artists. She writes travel and budgeting tips and destination guides for USA Today, Travelocity and ForRent, among others. She enjoys exploring foreign locales and hiking off the beaten path stateside, snapping pics of wildlife and nature instead of selfies.

Photo Credits

Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images

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Adams, Kathy. "How to Apply Rope to a Mirror for a Nautical Look." Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/apply-rope-mirror-nautical-look-93525.html. Accessed 24 May 2019.

Adams, Kathy. (n.d.). How to Apply Rope to a Mirror for a Nautical Look. Home Guides | SF Gate. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/apply-rope-mirror-nautical-look-93525.html

Adams, Kathy. "How to Apply Rope to a Mirror for a Nautical Look" accessed May 24, 2019. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/apply-rope-mirror-nautical-look-93525.html

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